Practicum Documents

Practicum Summary and Guidelines (.pdf document)
CONR 643 Practicum Syllabus (.pdf document)
Activity Report Log (Blank Excel Spreadsheet)
Fall 2012 Practicum Course Calendar (.pdf document)
Spring 2013 Practicum Course Calendar (.pdf document)

Introduction

The primary purpose of this course is to promote the goal of this graduate program, which is to equip and motivate students to be active peacemakers and ministers of reconciliation. The practicum experience is designed to facilitate the use of acquired and God-given abilities to practice and improve conflict resolution skills as well as to apply the knowledge and principles of peacemaking in the conflict resolution field.

The design of this course provides boundaries within which to practice and apply conflict resolution skills and principles with academic rigor and supervision in a variety of environments. At the same time, requirements for the course are more general to reduce limitations on creativity and application of peacemaking principles. Students will receive individual attention as they create and complete practicum projects that utilize their strengths in settings that are relevant to their personal and professional goals as peacemakers.

Catalogue Description

A graduate-level practicum tailored to meet the individual interests of the student and to utilize the student’s God-given, unique talents in advancing the field of conflict resolution. The student will invest a minimum of 125 clock hours per 3 credit hours to fulfill the practicum requirements. A faculty member with appropriate credentials will supervise each student.

Scripture Related to Course Content 

• “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” – II Corinthians 5: 18-20
• “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.” – Romans 12:6a

Conflict Resolution Practicum Course Summary* & Outline
Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation

The course experience can be summarized by using three “P’s” (see figure below). Each student begins by presenting a Proposal, which must be approved before the student may move on to the second phase of the course. The Project is completed over the course of one “long” semester (i.e., two online “sessions”). As each student completes the practicum, he or she must present a Product (paper, presentation, etc.) to show evidence of the learning that has taken place over the course of the practicum. This process is designed to showcase acquired skills and knowledge along with the further development of God-given talents and abilities to produce a professional peacemaker.

Course Outline

General Requirements – Practicum students will be required to:

• Submit a practicum proposal for approval at least two weeks before the semester begins.
• Create and complete a practicum project that fulfills the required clock hours.
• Maintain regular (as determined by your advisor) contact with faculty advisor.
• Maintain regular contact with the On-Site Supervisor (if applicable).
• Submit a Final Product and Project Reflection as evidence of the learning that took place through the practicum experience.
• Complete the practicum project within one “long” semester (Fall, Spring, Summer).

Step 1: Practicum Proposal – Each student will create and submit a practicum proposal that includes:

• Name, current title/position, working title, setting, and description of the proposed project.
• Justified need for the project being proposed.
• Goals and objectives of the proposed project.
• Methodology (Plan of Action) for how the student will complete required hours with the proposed project.
• Contact information for an On-Site Supervisor (if applicable).
• Intended Final Product to demonstrate achievement of the goals/objectives.

Step 2: Approval and Commencement of Project – The student will:

• Receive feedback and constructive comments about their practicum proposal from their faculty advisor (if applicable).
• Receive approval for his or her practicum project at the faculty advisor’s discretion.
• Enroll in CONR 643 – Practicum, and begin the project after approval from the faculty advisor.
• Maintain regular (as determined by your advisor) contact with faculty advisor.
• Maintain a log of hours meeting the Department’s standards that documents hours devoted to the project.

Step 3: Completion – The student will:

• Submit Activity Reports, Progress Reports, and any other relevant materials to validate time spent in the completion of the practicum project.
• Submit a final product (paper, presentation, report, etc. determined in conjunction with the faculty advisor) that details the learning experience of the student and how the project promoted the field of conflict resolution.
• Be encouraged to submit the final product as an entry in his or her ePortfolio.
• Submit a Project Reflection to show the connection(s) the student has made between the Practicum Project, the CR program, and the field of Conflict Resolution as they apply to the students’ personal and professional goals.

(* for a full list of requirements and responsibilities, see the course syllabus)

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Guidelines for the Conflict Resolution Practicum*

Eligibility

To enroll in the Practicum course, you must have completed:

1. CONR 605 – Negotiation and Mediation (6 credit hours)
2. Residency Session
3. Nine (9) additional credit hours in the MACRR program at ACU

Practicum Requirement

Students in the Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation (MACRR) are required to complete six credit-hours in the conflict practicum.  Those credit-hours can be configured in three ways:

• Two 3 credit-hour practicum projects (the student participates in two separate projects)
• One 3 credit-hour practicum project and completion of the optional residential course, CONR 645 – “Practical Skills and Theory in Conflict Resolution”
• One 6 credit-hour practicum project

Time and Activity Requirements

• 3 Credit Hours of Practicum = 125 clock hours (minimum) in project activities.  
• 6 Credit Hours of Practicum = 250 clock hours (minimum) in project activities.

The following guide to appropriate project activities is not intended to be exhaustive and not all activities will be applicable to every project:

• Proposal research and background (no more than 5 hours)
• Proposal writing (no more than 3 hours)
• Contact with professor of record throughout the project (no more than 10 hours)
• Contact with on-site supervisor (up to 5 hours)
• Preparation of plans and materials for project
• Research
• Project implementation
• Record keeping and statistics
•  Production of a final artifact

Types of Projects

The following list is not intended to be exhaustive.  The following are suggested types of practicum projects:

• Mediation and/or conflict intervention experience in a public dispute resolution center
• Mediation and/or conflict intervention experience in a private organization through an in-house conflict resolution center or ombuds office
• Substantive design and/or implementation of a conflict resolution system for an organization
• Substantive design and/or implementation of a training curriculum and course for an organization
• Training and supervision of peer mediators in a school or youth organization
• Substantive research and production of a written document suitable for submission to a refereed journal

As you consider possible practicum projects, be creative.  Keep in mind these general principles.  Your practicum project should:

1.    add to your experience and ability as a peacemaker,
2.    promote conflict resolution within an existing organization, and/or
3.    promote the profession of conflict resolution through
       a.    advancement of the scholarly field,
       b.    development of innovative training materials or conepts,
       c.    promotion of the field, and/or
       d.    advancement and promotion of the work of the ACU Center for Conflict Resolution.

Your Responsibilities

• Generating ideas for your practicum and writing a Practicum Proposal.
• Making regular (as determined by your advisor) contact with your faculty advisor. 
• Submit a final product as evidence of the learning that has taken place through the practicum experience.

Faculty Assignments

The Department of Conflict Resolution wants to accommodate your interests for the type of project you pursue and the faculty member who works with you.  An MACRR faculty member will be assigned to you as your Faculty Advisor based on availability and area of expertise, but you may also request a particular faculty member for this role.  Any request for specific faculty assignment is subject to departmental approval.

Role of the Faculty Advisor

The faculty member assigned to your practicum project as your Faculty Advisor will assist you by reviewing and approving your practicum proposal. He or she will periodically review your progress and provide suggestions while the project is underway. This will include reviewing reports from your on-side supervisor (if applicable), and evaluating your overall project.

The Faculty Advisor is not responsible for generating ideas for your practicum or locating or securing a particular position for you.  Nor is the Faculty Advisor responsible for making contact with you.  During the development of your proposal, an appropriate standard for professor-student contact will be set.  Failure to meet that standard could result in a loss of grade points.

Some projects will require more faculty time.  However, because each professor in the department has a large number of practica to oversee, he or she will decide the extent of student contact in accordance with the proposed project.  As projects may evolve over time, the department chair reserves the right to reassign Faculty Advisors, even in the middle of a practicum project.  However, such a reassignment will not be allowed to affect a student or the student’s project in an adverse way.

Role of the On-Site Supervisor

The role of the on-site supervisor is very limited.  Basically, the individual simply monitors the project and verifies the time investment and general output of the student. Simple, one page reports may be requested from the Faculty Advisor. On-site supervisors are not required to evaluate the work of the student for a grade.

To download a .pdf document with the Summary and guidelines, click HERE.